Mercedes-Benz has announced it's killing off the T-Class and Citan vans.If you're currently asking yourself "The what and the what?" don't worry – you're not alone. These two forgettable boxes on wheels were essentially Renaults wearing three-pointed stars and priced at twice what they should have been. And now they're being put out of their misery. The T-Class and Citan: Renaults In Expensive SuitsThe T-Class and Citan weren't so much Mercedes products as they were glorified badge engineering exercises. Both vans were based on the Renault Kangoo and built at Renault's Maubeuge factory in northern France. Essentially, they were Renaults that had been forced to wear a suit and tie to a dinner party they weren't particularly qualified to attend.According to Automotive News, production will cease by the middle of next year. The electric versions – the EQT and eCitan (yes, those existed too) – will follow them to the automotive graveyard by mid-2026. Absolutely nobody will mourn their passing, primarily because absolutely nobody knew they were alive in the first place. What's particularly amusing is that Nissan's version of the same van, the Townstar, will continue production. So Renault is happy to keep building the van for its alliance partner but not for Mercedes. It's the automotive equivalent of saying "It's not you, it's me" when everyone knows full well it's definitely you.This wasn't the first time Mercedes and Renault engaged in this sort of automotive cross-dressing. Remember the Smart ForFour? That was just a Renault Twingo wearing a different frock. And let's not forget the X-Class pickup, which was a Nissan Navara in a German suit. That particular experiment lasted a grand total of three years before being mercifully put down. Mercedes' Grand Plan: Less Badge Engineering, More ProfitThe reason for killing these vans is blindingly obvious – they didn't fit with Mercedes' image as a premium brand, and they certainly didn't generate the kinds of profits that make German executives smile. Instead, the company will focus on larger, more profitable commercial vans built on in-house platforms: the Van Combustion Architecture (VAN.CA) and Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA).These future vans will share more than 70 percent of their parts, allowing Mercedes to simplify production and reduce costs. This is what Mercedes should have been doing in the first place, rather than slapping three-pointed stars on French delivery vans and hoping nobody would notice. And it seems the axe isn't done swinging yet. According to German business newspaper Handelsblatt, the GLC Coupe and GLE Coupe could be next on the chopping block. This would be a far more significant cut, as these are actual Mercedes models that people have heard of and occasionally even buy.It's not all bad news, though. Mercedes is adding new models too, including a smaller G-Class (because apparently the regular G-Class is just too subtle and discreet), a fully electric C-Class, and a new CLA with a Shooting Brake variant. AMG is also working on dedicated EVs, including a sedan expected to replace the GT 4-Door Coupe and an electric SUV. For the truly wealthy, Mercedes recently filed design trademarks for an S-Class Coupe, hinting at a new member of the Mythos series. This would join the roofless AMG PureSpeed based on the SL roadster in the "cars for people who own islands" category.So while we bid farewell to the T-Class and Citan – two vans that were about as memorable as beige wallpaper – Mercedes continues its transformation into a brand that sells either enormous luxury barges or enormous luxury SUVs, with very little in between. The middle-class Mercedes that once defined the brand is slowly being squeezed out, leaving only the extremes.And I, for one, can't say I'll miss these rebadged Renaults. If I wanted a French van, I'd buy a French van. At least then I wouldn't be paying a 40 percent premium just for a different badge on the grille.
